The Wandering Naturalist

Latest Episodes:

Episode 70: Fire to Frost - A Prairie Story of Restoration Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

Wildlife staff from Three Rivers, Brian Fredlund and Mitch Haag, join to talk about using prescribed fire on restored prairies. Learn more on how managed fires help a prairie ecosystem and whether or not you can bring marshmallows.

Episode 69: Fire to Frost - A Prairie Story of Seasons Nov 04, 2020

Show notes

Minnesota once was home to 18 million acres of prairie habitat but today only a little over 1 percent of native prairie remains. Protecting and recreating grassland is one of the most critical environmental challenges facing Minnesota. To highlight this unique habitat hosts Brandon and Angela take listeners through the seasons of the most endangered ecosystem, the tallgrass prairie.

Episode 68: It Came From the Bottom of the Web - Spider Research and You Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

How many species of spider are in Minnesota? Chad Heins, Professor at Bethany Lutheran college can answer that question, now thanks to help from citizen scientists and iNaturalist. Learn how you can help with his research using your smart phone.

Episode 67: It Came From the Bottom of the Web - Spider Webs and Spider Brains Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

Larry Weber, author of multiple books including "A Guide to Webs and the Spiders that Make Them", joins us to discuss his love of spiders, their webs, and even ones that stay alive and active under the snow. Dr. Anthony Aletta talks to us about his research on spider brains and why his knowledge of spider intelligence might not make him the best guest at a baby shower.

Episode 66: It Came From the Bottom of the Web - Spiders 101 Oct 07, 2020

Show notes

Angela and Brandon share stories of getting up close and personal with spiders. Monica Rauchwater from Richardson Nature Center joins to cover spider basics and to clear up their scary misunderstandings.

Episode 65: Fungi are The Life of the Party: Grow Your Own! Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

Join us as Susan Storck from Gale Woods Farm talks about why they have a mushroom forest. She gives tips on how to start growing your own mushrooms to eat at home.

Episode 64: Fungi are The Life of the Party: Fungal Invaders Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

Angie Smith, Director of Natural Resources, and Dan Commerford, Forestry Supervisor, join us to talk about why harvesting wild mushrooms in our parks is discouraged, fungi with negative impacts on our parks, and how they are combatting Oak Wilt and Dutch Elm Disease.

Episode 63: Fungi are The Life of the Party: Exploring a Kingdom Sep 02, 2020

Show notes

Aside from an amazing musical rendition by Brandon, we explore what makes fungi so unique. From acting as recyclers in nature to infecting hosts, and even connecting trees in a Wood Wide Web, we explore how fungus affects our natural world.

Episode 62: Mexico to Minnesota: Monarchs from a Chicano Point of View Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

Gain cultural perspective on monarchs as Chicana Professor Karen Mary Davalos, Chair of the Chicano and Latino Studies Department at the University of Minnesota, shares how Chicano/Chicana/ChicanX artists are inspired by this powerful butterfly. Jesus Ramirez shares how his Chicano culture and the monarch helped him go through a metamorphosis in life, from gang member to an educator, now working with people across the country to connect students with their own Chicano culture.

Episode 61: Mexico to Minnesota: Tagging and Planting Aug 05, 2020

Show notes

Naturalist Jim Gilbert joins us to tell the story of how a monarch his students tagged confirmed for scientists where Minnesota's monarchs migrated. Arla Carmichael, Horticulture Operations Supervisor for Three Rivers Park District, discusses what you can plant in your garden to help monarchs and other pollinators.

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